Press



March 21, 1933. M. H. BALLARD Er AL PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A Q4? /z-Yg' Filed July 6, 1929 Q @o @o w Q t m u mi March 2 1, 1933- M. H. BALLARD ET A1.- l902054 PRESS Filed July e, 1.929 z sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 21, 1933 i UNITED STATES PAATTQ'FFICM MILTON E. BALLARD AND DONALD e. lvrcLEz'AN;v or BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, As-

sIGNoRs To UNITED SHOE MACHINERY coRPoEATroN,oF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, l n

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY PRESS Application mea-Julyc, 1929. Seri-a1 No. 376,463.v y

This invention relates to presses and more particularly to presses of the kind employed for cutting sheet material bythe use of freely movable dies and is herein illustrated as embodied in a twin clicking machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.V 1,500,101, granted July'8, 1924 upon an application led in the name ofM. H. Ballard, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to embodiment in machines of that type. y v

Machines of the type referred to characteristically comprise a presser member mounted upon a post adjacent to a work-supporting bed and arranged to swing laterally over the the bed into position for operating upon work located'on the bed and to move toward and away from the bed in pressure-applying `operations upon the work. The presser memher and post are commonly reciprocatedby mechanism comprising an eccentricand movable parts including a connecting rod or Shaft making operative connection between the post and eccentric. During operation of the machine such parts are subject to comparatively great stresses, frequently as high as several tons, particularly at such times as when the machine becomes stalled with the eccentric at lower dead center by reason of careless operation upon heavy leather or upon many plies of fabric.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clicking machine in which the driving parts are constructed and arranged particularly to withstand the great stresses to which they are subjected without, however, sacrificing any of the advantages of clicking machines as heretofore constructed, To this yend and as illustrated, there is provided a clicking machine having a cutting block, a post, and

a presser member movable toward and away from the cutting block, together with means comprising a driving member for producingl reciprocations of the presser member and post and which is operatively connected to the post in such manner as to provide for lateral movement of the presser member over the block and relative angular movement of the post and Vdriving member. `Preferably and as illustrated, the driving member comprises a connecting rod having an enlarged head at one end thereof 'providedwith concentricspherical surfaces adapted ,to be. engaged'by and secured between bearing surfaces in the upper end of the post,- with theV yresult, that the connecting rod and post are arranged substantially for universal movement relatively to each other. This construction provides for the rotation of the post upon the connecting rod in. movingthe presser member laterally over the cutting block and at the same time -insures that the forces which would tend to'break or bend the rod and-'other driving parts will act in the vdirection of the axis of therrod thereby practically 'eliminating any likelihood Vof breaking 4or bending them. v

' Other objects of the invention' and'features .of construction will berapparent fromy the following description andwill be pointed out in the claims. j

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation and partly insection of a clicking machine illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention; and

f Fig. 2 is aside view partly in section showing details of the post and-connecting rod constructions. p As shown in F ig. 1, the machine comprises two -shaped frame members 10, secured together by tie rods 12 and 14 and having between them a bed 16 which supports a cutting block 18. Slidably mounted in each of the. framemembers 10y is a post 20 having rigidly secured thereto a presser vmember 22 which is movable with the post 20 toward and ried by a bracket 44 secured to the frame and kis arranged for rotation to raise or lower the bed by a worm gear 46 on a shaft 48 which is operated by a hand wheel 50. For further details of'construction and operation of certain of the parts above described-reference may be had to the aforementioned Letters Patent.

' The novel mech anism for operatively securing the post to the connecting rod willnow be' described. Within the upper end of the post 20 is'mounted a screw-threaded sleeve 52 having a spherical bearing orv seat surface 54 which is arranged to receivea corresponding spherical surface 56 upon a ball-'shaped enlargement or head 58 at the upper end of the connecting rod 28. In'the extreme end of the connecting rod is a recess 60 the lower portion of which is spherical in shape. Within the recess 60 is positioned a hardened steel bearing member 62 which -is hemispherical in shape, thev flat portion thereof being upwardly disposed. The weight ofthe post 20 and presser member 22 is borne by the flat surface of the'hemispherical member 62 to which it is transmitted by an adjusting pin in the form of a screw 64 carriedby a cap 66 secured tothe sleeve 52 by bolts 68. In assembling the parts the screw 64 is moved downwardly against the flat -surface of the bearing member 62 to take up the play between the member 62 and the walls of the recess 60 and between the spherical surface 56 and the seat 54 of the sleeve, the parts being held in adjusted position by a set screw in the cap 66. Y

The spherical surface 56 of the head 58 and the spherical surface of the recess 60 areV concentric, their centers of curvature coinciding substantially at the center of the fiat surface of the bearing member 62 thereby providing a universal mounting for the post 2O by which the post can be turned upon the connecting rod 28 while at the same time permitting angular displacement of the rod as it is driven by the eccentric 26. It is to be noted that the spherical'bearing surface 56 of the head 58 engages the sleeve 52 only over a comparatively small surface which is disposed substantially normal to the direction of application'of forces acting through the connecting rod with the result that the tendency of the connecting rod to grip the sleeve 52 is reduced to the extent that there is very little resistance to relative movements of the yrod and post.

On screw threads 72 at the lower end of the shaft or connecting rod 28 is an eye 74 which engages the eccentric 26 by which the rod is driven. The lower end of the rod 28 is provided withV two conical surfaces 73 the axes of which extend radially of the rod. The eye 74 is provided with a. set-screw 75 also extending radially of the rod and having aeonical surface 76V. Uponinward movement of the set-screw, the surface 76 engages-one of the surfaces 73,"forcing the rod land eye in opposite directions, thereby jamming the threads 72. The end of the setscrew, in addition, serves asa positive lock to prevent loosening ofthe screw-threaded connections. vTo facilitate the alinement of one or another of the conical surfaces 73 with the set-screw 75, the rod 28 is provided with a groove 7 7 so spaced from the surfaces 73-tliat when the rod 28 is threaded into the eye 74 with the groove positioned close to the upper surface of the eye 74, the axes of the surfaces 7 3 lie approximately in theplane of the aXis'of the set-screw 75 with the result that the rod need be turned only .slightly to aline one of the surfaces 7 3 withthe setscrew. This construction is effective firmly to secure together the connecting rod and eye therebyv to prevent theirrelative rotation'.

The lower portion ofthe eye 74 carries a wick 78 which picks up oil from a recess in the frame (not shown) Ito provide for the lubrication of the bea-ring surfaces of the eye and the eccentric 26. l

To provide for adjustment of thelpresser membertoward or away from the block to compensate for the various heights of dies used, the cap 66 is provided with a hand wheel 80 by which the sleeve 52 can be rotated. Rotation of the sleeve 52 will effect a raising or lowering of the post and presser member relatively to the connecting rod 28 the end of which in its uppermost position is at apredetermined height above the cutting block when the machine is at rest. The post isretained in its adjustedposition by a frictionjdevice comprising' a plunger' 82 located in the post ,and arrangedV for engagement with one or another'of a'plurality-of notches 83 in a flange 84 on the cap 66. The plunger 82 when positioned in a notch exerts sufficient pressure upon the flange, under influence of aspring 86, to prevent relative ro.

tation 4of the post which would varyv the height of the presser member relatively to the cutting block 18. Y

t For ylubricating the bearing surfaces of the connecting rod and sleevethere is provided 4an oil opening 88 extending through the central portion of the screw 64. Oil which is inserted through an oil cup 90 at the top of the screw will pass down onto the surface of the bearing member 62 and then into the spherical portion of the recess 60.l

The overflow of oil from the recess passes down along the outside of the head 58 of the connecting rod and between the spherical surface 56 and the seating surface 54 in the sleeve 52.

in the use of the machine sheet material is placed upon the cutting block 18, a die or dies are located on thek work for cutting operations thereon, and one of the presser members 22 is swung laterally into position over the work, the weight of the member 22 and the post 20 being rotatably supported by the screw 64 which bears upon the hemispherical member 62 at the top of the connecting rod 28. The handle 30 is then depressed, thereby7 26 to produce ,a pressure-applying operation of the presser member. It will be clear that rotation of the eccentric 26 from its position of rest as shown in Fig. 2 will pull the connecting rod downwardly and, through the head 58 acting uponl the seat 54, will forcethe post 20 and presser members 22 downwardly. Upon upward movement of the rod the presser member and post are raised by positive engagement of the rod with the screw 64. For any position of the eccentric 26 the connecting rod will so position itself by means of its universal connection with the post that the forces to which the rod is subjected will act in thedirection of its axis, instead of at an angle thereto, thereby eliminating any likelihood of bending the rod.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of lthe United States is 1. A clicking machine comprising a cutting block, a hollow post, a presser member rigidly secured to the post, a driving member extending through the post for moving the post and presser member heightwise of the cutting block, and a ball-and-socket connection located within the post near the upper end thereof for connecting the post to one end of the driving member to provide for angular movement of the presser member relatively to the cutting block and for relative angular movement between the driving member and post during movement of the post heightwise of the cutting block.

2. A clicking machine comprising a post, a presser member secured to the post, and means for supporting the post comprising an upright shaft extending through the post and having at one end thereof an enlargement provided with a spherical bearing surface, said enlargement having a recess, the post having a projection extending into the recess for supporting the weight of the post and the post also having a spherical seating surface making engagement with a spherical surface on the shaft.

3. A clicking machine comprising a post, a presser member secured to the post, a connecting rod for producing reciprocationsof the presser member and the post and extendinitiating rotation of the eccentricL ing through said post, and means for secury ing the post Ito the connectingrodcomprising a :sphericalv seat 'within the post, av pin securedto the-upper'portion of the post, and

an enlargement on the connecting rod constructed and arranged to be clamped between the-seat and thepin. Y.

4. Ina clicking machine a post, a presser membersecured to the post, a shaft for producing reciprocations of the post and presser the post and presser member, and a shaft for supporting the post having one of its ends operatively connected to the eccentric andl having its other end in engagement with said bearing surfaces.

6. A clicking machine comprising a hollow post having a plurality of spaced spherical bearing surfaces, a driving member extend-` ing through the post and having an enlargement at one end thereof positioned between the bearing surfaces, and means for clamping the enlargement of the driving member between said surfaces to secure together the post and driving member.

7. A clicking machine comprising a post, a shaft extending through the post and having an enlarged portion at the upper end thereof,

said enlarged portion having a plurality of i spherical bearing surfaces, and means on the Y post for engaging the bearing surfaces to secure the post to the shaft.

8. A clicking machine comprising a shaft having two curved bearing surfaces, va post surrounding the shaft and having a bearing surface adapted for engagement with one of the bearing surfaces on the shaft, a movable member having a bearing surface adapted for engagement with the other bearing surface on the shaft, and means associated with the post to clamp the bearing surfaces of the shaft between the bearing surface of the post and that of the movable member.

9. A clicking machine comprising a post, a presser member secured to the post, a cutting block, means for kproducing movements of the member `toward and away from the cutting block comprising a sleeve secured to the upper portion of the post and having a spherical seating surface, a connecting rod extending through said sleeve and having a spheri- Vcal portion bearing upon said seating surspherical member positioned in the recess",

and a cap secured to the end of the post and iff t having a pin extending therethrough for eniw e. 1 I

gaging the hemispherical member t0 secure the post to the connecting rod. v v y In testimony whereof I, the said MILTON H. BALLARD, have signed my narnerto this specification.

. MILTON H. BALLARD.

In testimony whereof L the said DONALD G. MCLEAN, have signed my name to this specification.

DONALD G.' MCLEAN. 

